Common Plasma TV Problems

After readjusting the antennae or satellite on your old TV in hopes of fixing that junky picture and waiting on hold for hours with your cable company, can't you just close your eyes and imagine the flawless picture you would get on a new plasma TV? You spend the next several months dreaming about and saving for this incredible new TV, all the while thinking of the perfect clarity in which you will be able to watch your favorite shows. But before finally choosing the TV you will take home, you should know a little more about some common problems with plasma televisions.

Mounting a plasma TV is an initial problem for many purchasers. Because of their large size, they are often unwieldy and difficult to mount. Most consumers don't even know that mounting their plasma TV incorrectly automatically voids their warranty! Whether you install the set yourself or have a professional do it, be very careful not to grab the set in the wrong way--doing this can damage the screen and distort the images into a "starburst" pattern on portions of the screen.

A good rule of thumb is to never touch the screen, and a good way to make your investment last is to install a glass cover over the screen as a protective measure. Plasma screens don't stand up to the wear and tear regular televisions do, especially if you plan on using your plasma television as a gaming console. The Wii system looks great on a plasma screen, but not if you hit the screen by accident! People offer differing opinions on whether the new gaming system causes "burn-in" on plasmas, but you can expect to have no problems if you take extra care during the first 100 hours that you use your TV. The screen should also be dusted on a regular basis to avoid rainbow-like arcs in your pictures.

A few other difficulties with plasma TVs have to do with display. Ghost shadows and flickering during broadcasting have been reported, but both can be minimized with additional accessories from your plasma television manufacturer.

Plasma TV has amazing potential but is still a relatively new technology. As it is still in its early stages, there are bound to be bugs to be worked out. Remember that sometimes simply turning off the set for a little while before turning it back on again can correct a problem.




Johnny Waymire has a great free resource site, tv-advisor.com , containing practical and helpful information on how to purchase Flat Panel TVs that fit YOUR needs. Visit to find all the helps, brands and reviews to make your next purchase very informative.

A Couple of Plasma Flat Screen TV's To Check Out From Vivadi And LG

Plasma Technology has been with us since its inception in the mid 1960?s and it is indeed LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) Technology that is actually the younger and newer of the two types of technology available with Plasma being with us since the mid 60?s.

To bring it down to its most simplistic form plasma display works effectively by housing many thousands of tiny cells located between two panels of glass which are held in a mixture of inert gasses usually Neon or Xenon.

If we take a look at couple of Plasma Flat Screen TV?s we can see exactly what there is in the marketplace right now.

The first Plasma we will take a look at is the LG 50PC1D?

The 50PC1D is a 50in Plasma TV and the prices for these are around 1500 pounds sterling or 3000 US dollars. The screen resolution is 1366 X 768 and with regards to being HD Ready the answer is yes. The LG has 3 (2 RGB) scarts and the type and number of Multimedia interfaces the 50PC1D uses is HDMI and 2. The type of Tuner for this TV is Analogue and Digital and the LG is available from a wide variety of outlets.

So what would we think is a fair assessment of the LG 50PC1D?

The most obvious place to start with as far as TV's are concerned would be the picture quality and our score here would be 6 out of 10, and closely tied in to the picture quality is the sound quality and our score for this would be 8 out of 10. Taking a look at the number of relevant connections and their availability, our score would be 8 out of 10. If we take a look at the overall "featureability" our score would be 8 out of 10 and for ease of use and overall value for money we would give the 6 and 6 out of 10 respectively.

Taking verything into consideration our overall view of the package would be that the overall performance of this Plasma we felt was rather good if not let down slightly by a noisy picture but on the other hand compared against similar machines this is on the cheap side so that has to be a plus also.

(The next Plasma Flat Screen TV to look at would be the|Next up amongst the Plasma Flat Screen TV?s to look at would be the} Vivadi Saturn HD50.

The Saturn HD50 is a 50in Plasma TV and the prices for these are around 8000 pounds sterling or 16000 US dollars. The screen resolution is 1366 X 768 and with regards to being HD Ready the answer is yes. The Vivadi has 1 (no RGB) scarts and the type and number of Multimedia interfaces the Saturn HD50 uses is HDMI and 2. The type of Tuner for this TV is Analogue and Digital and the Vivadi is available from limited outlets only.

So what would we think is a fair assessment of the Vivadi Saturn HD50?

The most obvious place to start with as far as TV's are concerned would be the picture quality and our score here would be 10 out of 10, and closely tied in to the picture quality is the sound quality and our score for this would be 10 out of 10. Taking a look at the number of relevant connections and their availability, our score would be 10 out of 10. If we take a look at the overall "featureability" our score would be 10 out of 10 and for ease of use and overall value for money we would give the 8 and 6 out of 10 respectively.

Taking verything into consideration our overall view of the package would be when you look at the scores we gave it you get a fairly good picture of what our team felt when they reviewed. This may sound slightly stupid and very obvious but now and then you can give a Tva good score on a technical basis but not really "fall in love" with the entire package. In this case the big down side is the price it has to be said but if you have the cash or can get your hands (legally) on the money thenm do whatever you have to do to get one of these pieces of kit. The Picture quality alone just leaves most people speechless!

From 2006 onwards industry analysts noted that effectively LCD TV's were overtaking plasma displays particularly in the large 40inch plus market where basically plasma previously enjoyed a massive dominance since the inception of technology. One of the other areas of consolidation within the Industry has seen the Plasma manufacturing base very much consolidate with now over 50 brands being manufactured by only 5 companies ? this of course has led to economies of scale hitherto imagined where the technology of more and more screens can be shared and further help cut the overall cost base.



Stephen Morgan writes quite regularly on the Internet about TV and Home Entertainment issues and more on the above can be found at Best Flat Screen TV and also at cheapplasmatelevision.biz

Flat Screen TV Comparison: Plasma vs LCD

Flat screen TV is one of the most popular and exciting TV technologies today. At only a few inches thick, flat screen TVs offer unparalleled flexibility and convenience. Older conventional TV's, in fairness to them, did offer crisp and vibrant images. However, these TV's, which operate through a cathode ray tube (CRT), suffered from one major drawback, they were bulky. As screen size increased, so did the bulk and weight. However, the TV of old has reached its twilight years. New television technologies have enabled TV manufacturers to create TVs with wider screen size yet still only a few inches thick. Thus, flat screen TVs usher home entertainment into the 21st century.

Flat Screen TV basically refers to two technologies: Plasma and LCD. The advances in these two technologies have enabled TV makers to build thin, lightweight TV screens with a large picture area. Plasma and LCD both offer similarly large, lightweight, flat screen TV's but the similarities are skin deep for their inner workings are different.

Plasma or LCD?

Plasma and LCD TVs generally look similar however they use very different technologies. Plasma utilizes a grid of tiny cells of gas plasma that light up and create a picture when charged by precise electrical voltages. LCD (liquid crystal display) screens on the other hand are made of liquid crystals sandwiched between two glass plates and create images by varying the amount of electrical charge applied to the crystals. Both Plasma and LCD offer excellent picture quality. The following are their strengths and weaknesses and edge over the other.

1. Plasma screens can display blacks more accurately compared to LCD. Thus, pictures in a Plasma TV have richer contrast and better detail especially in dark TV and movie scenes. LCD TV's are catching up however.
2. Plasma TV has better viewing angles than LCD TV. How far you can sit on either side of the screen before the qualities of the pictures are affected is what the "viewing angle" is. In LCD TVs, brightness and color tend to shift when angled too far while that of Plasma TVs remain solid.
3. Plasma TV can produce brighter color while light leakages in LCD screens affect the color saturation.
4. Plasma TVs are priced relatively less than their LCD counterparts especially in the large screen segment. Plasma TVs offer much larger sizes than LCDs, yet are still priced lower.
5. LCD has a higher native resolution than plasma TVs of the same size. This results to sharper images and makes LCD TV the better choice for HDTV.
6. LCD TVs consume almost 30% less power than Plasma TVs.
7. LCD TVs are generally lighter than similar sized Plasmas.
8. Among the two, LCD screens have a longer life span than plasma screens. LCDs can last up to 60,000 hours compared to Plasma that average from 30,000 to 60,000 hours.
9. Plasma TVs are more prone to screen burn-ins compared to LCDs although newer plasma technology are less susceptible to these.
If you are looking for a large flat screen TV, Plasma TV is recommended. Plasma TVs can give you better value for your money. The price difference between Plasma TVs and LCD TVs is big. However, if you have money to burn, then LCD TV is the better choice especially if you want the sharpest images. For smaller flat screen TVs at the range of 15” to 36”, LCD is the way to go. Ultimately, both technologies are still evolving and new innovations and improvements are definitely in the works.

Mitchell Medford is an author and product consultant for several consumer electronics manufacturers. Visit his website for more information on home theater, LCD TVs, and plasma televisions.

Panasonic TH-50PX600 Flat Screen LCD TV - Almost perfection in its class

Aquiring that new TV Spending what could be a considerable amount of cash should make you think seriously about what is essentially a major domestic investment.

The way that technology changes so quickly nowadays you would be wise to consider carefully any investment and try and ensure that it remains compliant with all possible standards.

The latest telecommunication system for broadcasting moving pictures and sound is known as Digital television (DTT) and as the name implies this relies upon the transmission and reception of digital signals as opposed to the more conventional analogue formats. With DTT, viewers are limited to whatever channels the antenna picks up. Signal quality will also vary.

The purpose of this article is to take a look at what is on offer with the new generation of Flat Screen Televisions available and in this case the television in particular is the Panasonic TH-50PX600.

The TH-50PX600 is a 50in Plasma TV and currently these TV's can be found for 2600 pounds sterling or 5200 US dollars. The resolution of the screen is 1366 X 768 and with regards to being HD Ready the answer is yes. The Panasonic has 3 (2 RGB) scarts and the type and number of Multimedia interfaces the TH-50PX600 uses is HDMI and 2. The type of Tuner for this TV is Analogue and Digital and the Panasonic is available from a wide variety of outlets.

So given this information, what would be our view of the Panasonic TH-50PX600?

Well to start with our score for the picture quality is 10, next we would look at the sound quality and our view of this would be 10. Another useful aspect to review is the availability and number of relevant connections and our score here would be 10. As far as overall features are concerned we would give it 108 and the final individual verdicts would relate to the ease of use and overall value for money and our scores here would be, 8 and 8 respectively.

Taking everything into consideration our overall view of the package would be One of the best we have seen. This Plasma TV is, as one critic described "one if the best I have ever seen" and the overall combination of terrific pictures, amazing sounds and for it all, a great price makes this combination very hard to beat, if not impossible.

It is extremely unlikely given the variety and range of makes and models available that you will not be able to find something to match your tastes or budget. The choice, as they say, is completely down to you to decide whether to stay at the forefront of what are rapidly changing technologies and fashion or to remain part of the safer but perhaps better developed mainstream. Either way we hope that by reading this short article you should have a slightly more informed view of the options available to you

Please be aware that the prices quoted in this article are taken from a number of leading e-commerce websites and as such should be taken as guides and indications of prices rather than absolute quotes.



Author of this article is Stephen Morgan. He writes quite regularly on the Internet about TV and Home Entertainment issues and more on the above can be found at flat screen tv stands and also at http://bestflatscreentv.biz

The Pros and Cons of Plasma, LCD and DLP

Each type of technology used in making flat screen TV's is different and carries its own set of advantages and drawbacks. Learning and recognizing those qualities will enable you to make the best choice possible when shopping for you new Plasma, LCD or DLP TV screen.

Plasma TV screens have an advantage of automatic pixel shift technology, which gives the plasma screen a resistance to being damaged by burn in. Of course, the best prevention for decreasing burn in onto your TV screen is not to allow an image to sit on the screen for any length of time.

Plasma TV's are able to create deeper blacks and even better contrast. Plasma also has the advantages of response time, in depth color and is available in larger screen sizes than any other current technology. In plasma TV screens, the size usually starts at 42 inches and upwards. However, a plasma TV does generate more heat and is more prone to display dysfunctional problems due to its change in temperature.

Since Plasma TV's are temperature sensitive, some of them suffer performance problems at high altitudes. Although some manufactures produce plasma TV's that are compatible with high altitudes, but they are more expensive that standard made plasma TV's.

The average screen size of plasma TV's vary from 32 inches to 63 inches, with a 160-degree angle of viewing. Plasma TV's are able to display rapid movement of a video and refresh as well as traditional TV's. Being heavier in weight a plasma TV may require the strong support of a weight-bearing wall while being mounted.

LCD has the advantage of not being inclined to respond negatively to high altitudes, although LCD technology has yet to produce a screen size of over 37 inches due to problems with bad transistors that distort a quality picture. It is possible to use LCD TV screens as computer monitors, as they normally do not suffer burn in, though a ghosting of images may appear on screen due to a pixel charge being retained on the viewing screen. However, LCD TV is also prone to have problems displaying programming from satellite and cable signals.

LCD TV's have a lower contrast ratio that does not produce deep blacks. When their individual pixels burn out, the screen will be marred with tiny missing areas of white and black. Individual pixels cannot be replaced; therefore, the whole screen will need to be replaced. LCD TV's are also less expensive and lightweight which makes for easier transport and installation. Many new LCD TV owners install their on sets easily thereby saving even more money relating to purchase of a new TV. LCD TV's are able to maintain their option levels in well-lit rooms, as they do not reflect much light. LCD TV's also run cooler than plasma TV's.

Most consumers are satisfied with the quality of brightness of both plasma and LCD TV's. As far as thickness of the screens, a plasma screen can be as thin as three inches and an LCD screen can be as thin as two inches. The estimated life span of plasma and LCD TV's seem to be a length of 15 years and up with normal viewing habits.

DLP TV's are usually less expensive than LCD or plasma TV's and they also have the advantage of creating the best quality of picture. DLP TV is also able to HDTV at its fullest resolution. Moreover, they usually do not require maintenance. However, there have been noticeable rainbow effects in the DLP components that employ certain color wheels, as well as DLP having a limit of angle view.



Author of this article is David Tanguay. He is dedicated in providing research, reviews & helpful information to consumers and businesses. To research, review and purchase your next TV, please visit LCD TV Review at http://plasmatv-compare.com